Condensers are highly susceptible to scaling. Refrigeration units should undergo routine water treatment during the cooling season. Otherwise, operating in high-hardness water conditions will cause dissolved inorganic salts in the circulating water system to crystallize and precipitate as the temperature rises, forming scale on the condenser heat exchanger tube walls, leading to reduced heat exchange efficiency. Simultaneously, increased scale buildup raises energy consumption; a 1mm thick layer of hard scale can increase energy consumption by 6%–10%.

Dirty deposits from water containing soil, silt, and humus, combined with biological slime formed by microorganisms, algae, and their secretions, adhere to the condenser heat exchanger tube walls, forming sludge that can cause severe blockages. This scale and slime also affect heat exchange efficiency, increasing energy consumption, causing high-pressure operation, and in severe cases, leading to overpressure shutdowns. All of these factors significantly impact the normal operation of the condenser.

Physical cleaning primarily uses flexible shaft brushes. The flexible shaft is driven by the motor of the cleaning machine. There is a nylon brush at the front of the flexible shaft. When using it, the flexible shaft and brush are inserted into the copper tube of the condenser. The brush, which rotates at high speed, cleans the dirt inside the copper tube. Finally, it is rinsed with clean water. This kind of machine is called a cleaning machine.